POUR SOME SUGAR IN ME: HOW IMPORTING AND SUPPORTING SUGARCANE ETHANOL PRODUCTION WILL NOT ONLY MAKE FRIENDS, BUT SAVE AMERICA FROM AN ADDICTION TO FOREIGN OIL OR WHY THE UNITED STATES SHOULD REMOVE THE TARIFF ON SUGARCANE ETHANOL

摘要

At a time in American history when a Democrat, former Vice President Al Gore, wins the Nobel Peace Prize for "[his] efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such changef,]"1 and a Republican President, George W. Bush, has openly admitted that America is addicted to foreign oil,2 it appears that a broad national consensus regarding the environmental and national security problems related to an addiction to foreign oil has emerged in the United States.3 While this addiction to foreign oil has far ranging effects on everything from powering our homes and offices, to the production of a number of fungible goods, such topics will have tobe left for another author. This Note will deal more directly with the statements in the proceeding paragraphs of the President's State of the Union Address. These paragraphs include a number of ways in which the United States and its citizens can ostensibly reduce or eliminate the need for foreign oil and gasoline in their cars.4 The problem with the President's address is not the ideas found within it, but those that are left out of it. The reasons for offering such a short list of ideas are unknown to this author. It may be that President Bush was attempting to entice a Nation, dependent on foreign oil for their transportation needs,5 to make positive changes by offering solutions that could and have been developed, implemented, and used within theUnited States, as well as the benefits derived therefrom.6 But in his address, the President failed to outline an important part of any attempt the United States will make towards energy independence; the importation of alternative fuels and technologies from countries that have proven records of development in use of bio-fuels, such as ethanol.7 This Note will look at the leader in the implementation and use of ethanol, Brazil.8